Murderer? No He Prefers the Term Comedian
by HumbleBumblebee
Summary: A mysterious series of killings has sent both Demacia and Noxus into unease. Who is the perpetrator? What are his motives? And what will Valoran do knowing that a killer is on the loose? Knowing who he is, though, he might not have a feasible reason behind his crimes. First Chapter debut! R&R
1. Chapter 1

**Hye Gyes. This is my first fanfic and I'd appreciate any feedback so I can keep improving. **

**I feel like there aren't enough fanfics for certain champs, so my quest is to create decent stories of most of them. This list includes but is not limited to: Sion, Poppy, Volibear, etc etc. Just underplayed champs overall. So leave any suggestion you got, but otherwise enjoy.**

"WRONG ANSWER!" a hysterical voice cackled with glee in the dark, shady tunnels of the Bandle City sewers, echoing its maniacal tone off the walls.

The floor was strewn with corpses of victims that had each met a similar fate at the end of a sharp blade. Blood flowed freely from the freshly killed bodies, mingling with the yordle muck that made up the sewage.

In front of a dim candle, a man's form strapped to a chair could be recognized, albeit barely, while another, darker figure loomed in the shadows, holding the man by the collar.

The man was beat up, bruises and cuts marring his face with blood and tears streaking down his neck.

"Please! I don't know anything! I have three daughters, just spare me and I'll give you anything you want!" The man's desperate cry pierced through the symphony of laughter, "anything at all! I'll pay any price as long as you let me live!"

Suddenly, the laughing stopped. There was an eerie silence that seemed to stretch on for almost five minutes, with only the occasional drip of water from the sewer pipes and the man's ragged breathing breaking it.

"Money?" the deranged voice murmured, "I like money. Money is goood. Do you have money?"

"Y-Yes! I have lots and lots of money!" The man feverishly gasped hopefully, his frame ceasing its mad trembling. _Maybe I'll live after all_, the man thought. "Release me and I'll give it all to you!"

Another silence consumed the dank tunnels.

"Money is good, money gets weapons, " the figure said slowly, raising its arm," but KILLING is so much BETTER don't you think?"

Out of the darkness, an electric blue shiv impaled the man straight in the chest, and the man's screams were drowned out in the crescendo of insane giggling. Blood splattered the dark figure, and when his laughing fit ended, the man stirred no more. Giving one last cackle, the figure disappeared without a trace, leaving only the bodies of the victims to rot in the sewers and a faint echo of jingling bells.

It was a bright, sunny day in the city of Demacia. The grass was green as ever and the sun, as well as numerous rainbows, courtesy of Lux, shone in the sky. The everyday bustle of the marketplace buzzed with children running around and their respective parents following, gently scolding them. The city was in perfect harmony, working as intended, except for one area in the palace.

"That's the third killing this week!" An angry Jarvan IV slammed his hands on the mahogany conference table, cracking it.

Fuming, he paced in front of the counsel, breathing heavily while glaring around the room. No one wanted to be in the way of an angry Jarvan. Not even the Seneschal of Demacia, Xin Zhao, wanted to when he saw the Prince's temper rise.

"It must be those no good Noxian dogs ordering their scum to kill our merchants." the Prince whispered harshly under his breath, "It must be."

"Sire, if I may," a tentative council member piped up, but instantly quieted down when the prince's burning gaze settled on him.

"SILENCE!" he roared as he slammed his fist on the table once more, causing everyone in the room to collectively wince. " I need quiet. MEETING ADJOURNED!"

Everyone quickly shuffled out of the conference hall, not wanted to stay in the crosshairs of Jarvan IV's wrath. When the entire room was empty, save for Xin Zhao standing straight at his side, the prince collapsed into a nearby easy chair, sinking down into the leather cushion.

"What am I to do?" he sighed, face in his hands. "Without our Bandle City trade routes, Demacia's revenues are taking a hit."

"Your Majesty," Xin Zhao's stoic voice spoke up, "if this matter bothers you so greatly, shall I send the Dauntless Vanguard out to solve it?"

"I afraid it really has come to that point." the prince reluctantly agreed, tending to favor diplomacy over violence, unlike the Noxian scoundrels. "Go to Garen and inform him of his mission."

"Right away Sir," Xin Zhao replied, starting for the exit when Jarvan stopped him.

"Also," the prince added, "tell him to be careful not to get caught on this one like he usually does with assassins. The autopsy reports from the coroner indicate that this individual enjoys torturing his victims before the deathblow."

"Understood."

The night was cool and silent on the Tempest Flats. The stars glinted brightly in the clear, dark sky with the occasional breeze gently blowing through the plain. A Noxian regiment was traveling back to Noxus from a campaign of extortion. Forcing little villages on the outskirts of Bandle City to pay for 'protection,' they pillaged claimed the land as their own.

Trudging through the flat land, the Noxians cheered on through the night, recalling their escapade.

"Check out all this loot I got. " One soldier laughed, drunk on ale and satisfaction of a full coin pouch. "I'd say this is about 3 months pay, eh?"

"I don't know, I'm pretty sure mine is hitting 4," another said lazily.

"No way. I definitely have more than you. "

"Keep on dreaming."

"Shut up! Both of you, before I take all your money. " a third man barked.

"Hm?" A fourth grunted.

The commotion filled the air as the regiment continued on, unaware of a slight ring of bells echoing throughout the plain.

"Hold on guys, I gotta piss."

And so one soldier peeled off from the group and started to do his business.

"Hurry up maggot! " the commander, a rather large and burly man boomed from the procession.

"Yes sir!" 'Maggot' hastily replied.

Right after he disappeared from view, a flash of blue embedded itself into a soldier back in the regiment. He was barely able to cry out in pain, grabbing the rest of the Noxian troops' attention, and the body slumped to the ground, covered in freshly spilled red.

Alarm quickly seized the ranks as calls for weapons rang almost instantaneously.

"We're under atta-"

The man was silenced by a shiv to the throat as his comrades jumped in fear, trying to locate the source of the projectile.

One by one, the bodies dropped with the sickening sound of metal sliding through flesh. Surprise soon turned into fear as the soldiers attempted to flee from the invisible assailant. However, they met the same grisly death within seconds.

"Cowards. All of you are COWARDS!" The commander roared, pulling out the large, granite warhammer strapped to his back, "come out here and fight like a warrior! "

Obligingly, a dark figure appeared behind him and stabbed him in the back with two gleaming blades, bells ringing.

"Gah," the commander crumpled in pain. Angered, he whirled around, but his hammer met empty air.

"Fight me face to face you sneak bastard,!" he bellowed, frustrated at his inability to fight back against his elusive enemy.

Suddenly, the mood shifted as the figure appeared in a puff of reddish smoke on top of a pile of cadavers. Unobstructed in the moonlight, the commander saw his adversary clearly for the first time.

It's clothing was rather flashy, a jester costume, half bright orange and half black with checkered pants. It was so flamboyant, in fact that it was a wonder how it managed to camouflage so well. Despite this, what stuck out the most was it's pallid face. Gleaming white with a perpetual smile that spanned from one ear to another, its eyes narrowed maliciously as it opened its mouth.

"Why so... serious? " it cackled as it rushed the commander.

Growling in anger, the commander swung his heavy weapon and slammed it square in the jester's jaw.

The jester flew to the side as it landed in a heap. The commander dashed to him and grabbed the clown by the throat.

"End of the line, joker." The commander snarled as he pulled out a dagger from his belt.

Right as he stabbed the body, it exploded into a burst of shivs, impaling the commander.

Gasping in pain, the dropped his warhammer, attempting to pull out the shivs buried in his arms.

"The joke's on YOU!" the jester snickered as he stepped out from behind the pile of corpses.

Growling, the commander snatched his dagger and charged towards the now dancing jester.

.

"Eat this you piece of shi-" he began to yell when suddenly a box appeared out of no where in front of his warpath.

"BOO!" the little box shrieked as the Jack in the Box popped up, surprising the commander enough for him to stumble back a few steps.

"What the hell is this?" he roared, "this is NOT how a man fights!"

Angered at the distraction, he started to rush the clown once more. As he was about to slash his enemy's neck, the assailant disappeared once more.

"Enough of your schemes!" he howled, grinding his teeth until they made a harsh grating sound.

Confused and growing impatient with the jester's tricks, the commander slashed around him in a wide arc, hoping to locate where his adversary hid.

"Look… behind you," the commander heard as his heart was skewered from the back.

Drawing his last breath, the commander collapsed to his knees and made a vain effort to slash at the joker, but failing.

The last vision he had was of the jester, still maintaining his Cheshire Cat grin, staring down at him.

A brief moment passed until the quiet of the night was broken.

"Too bad I killed everyone. I wanted some… FUN."

Bells jingling merrily, the jester gave one last, scratchy laugh before vanishing from sight.

Finally finished with his potty break, 'Maggot' had returned just in time to see the jester disappear. Gasping in shock, he slowly and warily crept into the graveyard of his previous comrades as soon as he was sure the killer had gone. Despite just finishing his business, he felt a warm liquid running down his trousers.

"What happened. Oh God, What happened," he lamented, starting to shake and vomit uncontrollably. The rest of the night carried on, breezeless and chilling to the bone as silence covered the once lively Tempest Flats.

**Thoughts? Reviews are great, but if you have any extremely negative thoughts, explain them in a more reasonable way.**

**My soul is fragile :O**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 is live! Yay**

Thunder clouds rolled over the gloomy Noxian Sky. The everyday drone of poverty and depression choked the air as the Noxian citizens carried on with their lives.

Children stole food from seedy kiosks with the owners chasing them away angrily, and regiments patrolled the streets, often taking advantage of whomever they could.. Such was the city of Noxus, where the weak were buried and the strong glorified.

Outside the looming, granite walls, sickness and disease reigned whereas inside it was the polar opposite. People in positions of power lived extravagantly, hosting balls and parties whenever they could. When anyone considered weak opposed them, that person would be ruthlessly crushed.

At the nexus of Noxus, a large mountain in the shape of a skull bore the Noxian High Command on its head.

Inside, the Grand General, Jericho Swain, sat in a red velvet desk chair, calmly reading through the numerous reports and manuscripts on his desk.

He slowly glossed over inventory papers and messages with a stony mask of unchanging stoicness. Shuffling through a couple more scrolls, his eyes widened slightly at the most recent campaign report. Reading thoroughly, his eyebrows continued to rise until he finished.

Lightning flashed through the stained glass window of his office, giving off a sinister red glow throughout the room. After the thunder finished booming, Swain hastily scribbled a note and handed it to Beatrice (his raven).

"Fetch this man and bring him to me," he rasped harshly to the bird.

With a flurry of black feathers, Beatrice flew out of the open office window.

Swain stood abruptly and limped towards the stained glass. Peering out at a now raining sky, he was deep in thought.

_Who could have done such a thing? _Ideas raced into his mind but were just as quickly shot down.

_Demacians? No. Too brutal for that. Zaun? Why would they? Yordles…_

At this he let out a brief chuckle. There was no way a two foot creature could create such a massacre. Or could it?

Swain spent the night going over possibilities for suspects of the mass killing, none of which bore fruit. And the rain falling over Noxus made it seem as if the entire city was thinking as well.

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"Prince Jarvan requires you to be on your utmost best behavior. That means no fooling around with the suspect, especially if it's female" Xin Zhao reminded, 100% sure Garen didn't hear a word he said.

"Oh don't be such a worrywart Xin," Garen boasted heartily as he fastened the last few straps on his armor, "I'll make sure this killer will face Demacian justice!"

Hefting his massive sword, Garen slammed it into his kitchen table in a show of strength.

"Garen!" Lux exclaimed from the Crownguard living room. "That's the 3rd table you've broken this month!"

Rushing over, she gently punched him in the arm.

"Be careful out there you big dummy," she said, wrapping her arms around him in an embrace. "This killer is different from the others."

"Don't worry my sister. I will. And when I return, we'll celebrate in the name of Demacia." Garen returned the embrace and stepped out the door, greeted by the rest of the Vanguard.

"Men! Let's move out!" he boomed in his deepest voice as he mounted his white stallion, and they rode off through the marketplace out the gate of the city, a crowd cheering for them.

Lux watched as her brother slowly disappeared from view. Normally, she would be not very concerned for him as it was his job to defeat enemies of Demacia. But this mission gave her a dreadful feeling, one that sent shivers down her spine.

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'Maggot' was thrown to his knees by two burly armored guard after they had dragged him up the stairs. Still traumatized at what happened in Tempest Flats, he barely noticed where he was.

His hands touched the blood-red carpet and he slowly raised his head. There, sitting behind his desk with his hands clasped together, was the Grand General himself.

Realizing this, 'Maggot' sprung to his feet and bowed deeply, not daring to look at the Master Tactician's cold eyes.

"Raise your head," Swain croaked hoarsely, his voice unfeeling.

The soldier awkwardly stood up and continued to avert his gaze, trembling.

"Do you know why I brought you here?" the General asked, slowly walking to 'Maggot's' shaking form.

"N-no Sir, G-grand General, S-sir." muttered the terrified soldier, continuing to shake.

"As I know it," Swain growled, pacing around the man, "you have recently returned from your campaign to Bandle City, am I correct?"

"Y-yes Sir."

"And I am also correct in the fact that you are the only survivor?"

"Yes S-sir."

"Based on this report," Swain said as he pulled out the piece of parchment from his robe, "you apparently witnessed a mass killing of your fellow soldiers by one single being. Describe the killer. What did he look like, and how did he take out an entire Noxian regiment by himself?"

'Maggot' grew quiet and refused to budge.

"Answer me!" Swain spat, frustrated.

"I-I-I can't!" 'Maggot' cried out, "it went by too quickly an-"

He proceeded to vomit all over the rug, splattering some everywhere after recollecting the event that had happened.

In disgust, Swain pulled his robes back out of the reach of the splash area. Though he maintained his cold, demeanor, he was deeply puzzled.

Who could have made such a mess that traumatized an individual so much?

"Take him away," he muttered as he turned away, in thought once more.

The guards dragged a sobbing 'Maggot' down the stairs, but right when the door closed, his voice echoed through the stairwell.

"Bells! BELLS" came the tortured cry, and the soldier promptly passed out.

Swain, hearing this, became even more puzzled. _Bells_, he thought to himself.

Thinking for a good five minutes, he made up his mind. Because the report and the interrogation yielded so little information, the tactician decided that an investigation would be necessary.

Sitting down in his chair, he began to write once more, hastily scribbling down a note.

"Beatrice," he called, "deliver this to Darius, please."

Cawing in acknowledgement, the raven flew off with the note into the cloudy sky.

Sighing, Swain continued his paperwork. _Hopefully Darius will come through_, he thought.

**Don't ferget to review. Anything will be taken!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chappy 3 is Live! Hooray**

**I don't own League. If I did, I'd make the servers better.**

Walking home after his battle training, Darius whistled a merry tune as he went along his way. His jet black hair was matted with sweat and his muscles bulged more than usual.

Today had been a good day for him. He had cleaved about four thousand training dummies in half, a new record and a great day's work.

Hefting his prized battleaxe easily over his shoulder, he gave it a couple more practice swings before continuing down the path home.

The cawing of a raven caught his attention as seemingly out of the setting sun, Beatrice descended. Wiping some sweat from his brow, Darius allowed the bird to perch on his other shoulder.

"What's this?" he rumbled, "Swain has a job for me?"

His question was answered with a caw of approval.

Taking the note, he unfurled it carefully with his large, calloused hands as the raven took off once more.

Reading the Swain's message, his merry demeanor was replaced with his more militant side. Understanding his duty, he slid the paper in his pocket and rushed home, no longer whistling.

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When he reached his modest abode, he burst through the door and started to make preparations. Scurrying around and gathering his materials, he unlocked his armor chest and assembled the pieces onto the kitchen table.

Draven, who had been snoring on a messy cot nearby, abruptly woke to the commotion.

"Hey bro, what'cha doin," he asked in his classic oily voice. "I thought you were on break, and when are we gunna hit the town eh?"

"Not now Draven," came his gruff reply, "I have orders from General Swain to investigate a problem that has risen near Bandle City."

"Well what the hell can those little shits do to piss off mister bird-brain? He'd eat 'em for breakfast."

"It's General Swain. And this problem was not created by yordles, at least as far as we know. This adversary has the strength that rivals an entire Noxian regiment."

"Swain, birdbrain, same thing." Draven muttered sleazily, standing up and stretching. "There are a lot of those people around ya know. How d'you know if it ain't one of those uppity snots in the League?"

"This one uses weapons that no Champion uses." Darius grunted in a low voice as he started to shine his armor with a damp rag.

"Booooring. It's probably just another wannabe criminal. And stop calling 'em 'Champions.' They're not THAT cool. At least by my standards."

Straightening his messy brown hair and mustache, Draven yawned and headed for his room.

"Just make sure to come back to make me some dinner when yer done." he yelled before closing his door.

Sighing in annoyance and rolling his eyes, Darius started to sharpen his axe on the whetstone. He had many thoughts in his mind. This new killer seemed to be more of an assassin type character.

So unpredictable, that even the Grand Tactician could not figure out his means nor reason. He just mentioned that the individual was most likely one to be wary of.

Rubbing his eyes, he tried to figure out who this mysterious character was through the harsh grating of metal on stone.

Unable to think of any plausible ideas, Darius finished the sharpening and sent out a message to the army camp congregation, Boram's Point, requesting a brigade of higher-caliber troops.

Washing up, Darius retired for the night, letting sleep envelope him.

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In a rundown shack in the outskirts of Bandle City, wicked laughter could be heard, penetrating the night's silence.

"Oooh hoo hoo hoo hooo!" the jester cackled in the shadows of the den, playing with a disembodied paw and a doll, both stolen from a yordle's house.

"Shaco likes KILLING. Shaco HATES people! Yordles! EVERYONE!" the jester raved angrily, crushing the paw in his pale, scarred hand.

"Do you like living, Mister Paw?" he crooned to the furry ball. "What about you Miss Dolly?"

"Ooh! No's from BOTH of you! How unanimous! Since we all agree on hating living things, lets go kill some stuff!"

Through the cracks in the shack's roof, moonlight filtered in and hit the jester's face, illuminating a wide smile and deranged eyes.

"What are we waiting for? There's life for us to end!" he laughed as he jumped out of a hole in the roof, gleefully laughing through the chilly night air.

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The Dauntless Vanguard had reached the Shurima Desert after passing the Great Barrier in two days. Garen, happy at the progress, continued to boost the troops' morale as they rode on through the night.

However, they would have to find refuge soon as the soft light of dawn began to break over the horizon. The desert was only passable during the coolness of the evening, and the League had graciously constructed a pathway that could allow horseback riders.

Otherwise, the Vanguard would have to resort to camels. (Lol Garen on a camel)

Needless to say, Garen was approaching Bandle city at a steady rate. They would reach the place of the killing after two more days. Then, the murderer would pay for his crimes.

"Sir, something approaches," a Vanguard soldier indicated, point to a speck in the distance that was travelling extremely quickly to their position.

"What in Demacia's name…" came Garen's bewildered reply, snapping him back into reality.

Observing the growing speck in the orange sunlight, he made out the color purple, as well as what looked like a dorsal fin.

"Sir, it's getting closer," the solder warned, backing away slightly.

A hapless alpaca happened to wander in between the Vanguard and the purple blob, unaware of its surroundings (as alpacas usually are). Suddenly, it was dragged beneath the sand as the purple blur passed by.

Seeing this, the men gave a jump back in surprise.

"Men! Run!" Garen roared as bones of the alpaca resurfaced, forced out of the sand by the 'land shark.'

Spurring into action, the horses ran as quickly as they could, clacking their hooves on the sandstone pavement.

After five minutes of nonstop galloping, the Vanguard slowed to a trot.

"I think we lost it," one of the men sighed in relief.

"Yeah," agreed another.

Suddenly, in a fountain of sand and debris, a Vanguard member was snatched off his horse in a flash.

The horses skittered nervously, not bolting away like normal horses as they were bred for war.

When the sand had settled, all was left was a riderless horse and a gaping hole in the dune.

Dismounting, Garen unsheathed his large claymore and waited.

A burst of sand to his right reflexively made the Might of Demacia slash in that direction.

Smirking as his hit his mark, a shrill shriek echoed across the desert as a spurt of greenish blue liquid mingled with the debris. A purple iridescent limb flew off and as the sand settled, the men gasped in horror at the beast in front of them.

It was primarily a twilight blue with purple tinges at its extremities. With no eyes and a large, gaping mouth bloodied by its most recent kill, the beast shrieked once more and gnashed its mandibles angrily.

Undaunted, Garen stood his ground, delivering yet another slash to the monster's midsection, though not affecting it much.

The men backed up nervously once they saw their commander, serious in battle. They formed a loose semicircle around the two combatants as the sun started to rise.

The noise of metal meeting hard carapace rang as Garen and the beast clashed. The monster raised its claw before bringing it down quickly, missing Garen by inches as he tumbled to the right.

Not giving an opening, the massive creature slashed once again when Garen landed, scratching his face.

Wiping the blood from his cheek, the commander jumped into the air and brought down his sword with a mighty somersault. Cleaving the tough shelled head of the monster, it cried out in pain as its green blood flowed.

At this, it burrowed down into the ground, hoping for a surprised attack.

Garen laid down on the sand, not moving. For a minute, everything was silent as a gentle breeze blew by.

Suddenly, Garen lept up and rolled to his left, just as the beast shot out at his previous position. In a flash, Garen was on top of the beast, punching (Ahh Season 2 Garen) it with his large gloved fist.

Delivering one last slash with his sword, the beast shook him off and dove back into the sea of sand. Dorsal fin protruding, it rushed away shrieking in pain, just as fast as it came.

Breathing heavily, Garen regained his composure and mounted his steed once more, congratulated by his men on the well-fought battle.

"Though we lost Atticus, he will ride on with us in spirit," he boomed, loud enough for all to hear. "Now go forward, men. There is nothing that can stop us!"

Roaring in approval, the Dauntless Vanguard rode on faster than ever, morale at an all time high after witnessing their Commander's great victory. The sun was reaching its peak, but that was no longer a problem as the Vanguard cleared the Shuriman Desert in record time.

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The Noxian forces had just crossed the Great Barrier uneventfully. They too, rode on at a steady rate. Reaching Tempest Flats, Darius ordered for a halt and dismounted, kneeling in respect at the scene in front him.

The corpses of the previous Noxian regiment had half decayed, flies buzzing and vultures pecking at the remains. The stench was overpowering, invading the noses of all of the men.

A grim atmosphere seized the soldiers, everyone averting their eyes.

Scanning the graveyard, a glint in the sunlight caught the Hand of Noxus's eye. A light blue dagger was poking out of the ground. Gingerly, Darius trudged to it, cleaned it off, and stuck it in his bag.

_Poison_, he thought to himself. _Interesting._

"Men," he rumbled as he mounted his horse, "move out."

And the Noxian brigade rode on the plains till dusk.

**Thanx for reading! Don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AAAAANd chappy ffffourrrrr!**

Tired, but their spirits still running high, the Dauntless Vanguard approached the gates of Bandle City. The bright daylight sun beamed down on them as Garen knocked on the rather small gate door.

"Citizens of Bandle City, we come in peace," he boomed. "We are here to seek a place to to investigate an incident that occurred near your city.

The wooden gate slowly creaked open as the Vanguard marched through the wave of yordles that gathered to see them.

"Mister Garen! Mister Garen!" A young yordle called out, "can I have your autograph?"

"How suave and bold," others swooned.

Because of his involvement with the League, and the fact that many matches were broadcasted as entertainment, Garen had earned a large fanbase throughout all of Runeterra, with some exceptions of course.

"Men, be on the lookout for any suspicious characters," Garen muttered through his blue scarf.

Disappearing into a nearby inn, the Vanguard reserved places to stay for the night, the staff happy to welcome such a celebrity.

"Men, when night falls, I want four groups to scour the sewers," Garen whispered, barely audible. "Team A, take the north, B the east, C south, and D west. I'll be independent from all of you, so be on guard.

Through a collective murmur of understanding, The Dauntless Vanguard waited for dusk.

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The Noxian brigade came later in the afternoon, when the sun had grown orange.

"Open up!" Darius growled as he rapped harshly on the gate. "By order of Grand General Swain, we have arrived to investigate problems that have been detected near your city."

Shifting his armor, Darius backed up as the gates swung open, revealing an irate and familiar yordle.

"Just what do you think you're doing Darius," Teemo maliciously snarled, "if you want to come into Bandle City, then do it with respect."

"Shut it, rat," A Noxian soldier spat, and before he could react, he was foaming at the mouth, stung by Teemo's darts.

"Why don't you have some decency you Noxian scum," came Teemo's curt reply, sheathing his blowgun. "Don't worry, he'll wake up in a few hours."

Hefting the unconscious man over his shoulder, Darius and the brigade shuffled into the city with many pairs of nervous and malevolent gazes upon them. Trudging on, they entered a seedy tavern, directly opposite the one the Vanguard was staying.

Garen bolted upright at the sight of his greatest rival and archenemy, growling under his breath.

So the culprit has returned to the scene of the crime, he thought.

"Men, one from each team must take one of these transmitter crystals. They will allow you to communicate with me and each other. If you find anything worth knowing, report it to everyone. I'll be taking a little detour."

"Understood," came the unanimous reply.

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In the dim light of the pub, Darius addressed his soldiers and informed them of their mission.

"You are to scan the perimeter of Bandle City and report any dangerous suspect. The killer must be near here. Report back to me when you are finished. Understood?"

"Yes Sir," grunted the brigade.

"All right. It is reaching nightfall. Be on your guard and prove your strength for Noxus!" he bellowed, creating a cheer of approval from the ranks.

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As soon as the sun fell, the Noxian troops left the tavern, heading for the walls of Bandle City. Around the same time, the Vanguard filed into the man(yordle)holes of the city. Wearing cloaks, both parties seemed to pass without a problem, not noticing their true identities. If they had, chaos would ensue in the streets.

Darius stepped out into the cool night air, stretching his back and loosening up his joints. Feeling an aura of malice, he cautiously surveyed the area.

"So, you scum have come back to finish off the rest of us, I see." Garen revealed himself, walking out from behind a large oak tree.

Recognizing the source of the voice, Darius's demeanor soured and he unstrapped his axe as Garen unsheathed his sword.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he growled lowly, "we're here to investigate our own problem."

"A likely story," Garen snorted in derision. "You Noxian dogs have come to kill us just like you did to our merchants."

"As I said before, I know nothing of the sort," Darius spat, becoming angered at Garen's ignorance, hefting his axe.

"I'll just have to beat the truth out of you then!" roared Garen, charging with his sword, prepared to strike.

"So be it," Darius rumbled, parrying the blow easily.

The two circled around, trying to get an opening at each other's weak spots. Suddenly, Darius lunged forward, grazing Garen on the knee.

Grunting in pain, Garen spun in the air and delivered a heavy blow, but Darius blocked it with the flat of his axe.

The two continued to trade blows, accumulating cuts and bruises, but with no one gaining a true upper hand.

Suddenly, Darius leaped into the air and brought down his axe with a mighty roar. Had it not been for Garen's quick reflexes, he would have been cleaved in two.

Cracking the pavement, Darius yanked his axe out and spun around, performing his classic 'Decimate' attack. Likewise, Garen spun as well.

The two weapons met at the peak of their momentum, creating a rather loud and harsh clanging sound. Withdrawing, the two took a breather.

"This is a waste of time," Darius growled. "You can't beat me."

"Oh really," Garen panted, wiping sweat off his brow. "How so?"

Suddenly, blood started to leak from on of Garen's cuts. Though it was not a deep wound, Garen felt the strength in that area of his body leaving him.

"I have been targeting your vital spots for a while now. Though it may not seem like much in the heat of battle, it really stacks up." Darius casually explained, leaning on his axe.

_Of course. I should have remembered_, Garen thought, mentally reprimanding himself.

"You are no longer fit to fight, so now you will be able to hear me out, you ignorant fool." Darius rumbled. "We are here because of an attack that occurred on one of our regiments. Apparently one individual was able to wipe out the whole troop single-handedly."

" He uses weapons that look like this," Darius explained, pulling out the shiv he had collected from the Tempest Flats.

"How can I know that you are not lying." Garen said, still suspicious, but lowering his sword..

At that moment, the transmitter crystal began to glow in his bag.

"Sir!" Came a cry, "we've located the suspect in the western part of the sewers!"

"Good job." Garen replied. "I'll be there shortly"

"Commander Garen!" came another, "we've found the killer lurking in the east wing!"

"What?" came Garen's confused reply. What is happening?

Soon, however, cries of agony could soon be heard as a demonic laughter echoed through the crystal. The cackling amplified until everything went silent and the crystal dimmed.

"Team A, report." Garen shouted, clearly distressed. "Team B, C, D! Are you there?"

Darius smirked, but also concerned. _What kind of being could be in two places at once, but also take out Demacian forces so easily?_

Suddenly, the crystal started to glow once more.

Relieved, Garen tried calling once more, but was met with a deranged voice.

"Catch me… if you can! Oooh hoohooohooo! I'm outside the city walls!"

"Sir! Don't fall for it! It's a traaaa-"

The transmission ended with the sound of metal piercing flesh.

"Satisfied now, Commander?" Darius mockingly berated. "Looks like we have a big problem on our hands."

"My men fought bravely," Garen snarled, angry at the murderer's senseless killing. "I will make him pay for what he has done."

"Well then that makes two of us." Darius grumbled, raising his head to the moon.

"ALL TROOPS, RETURN!" he bellowed into the night sky.

_We will find this killer and bring him to his knees. Only then will he know that Noxus is not to be trifled with._ Darius thought grimly, hefting his great battleaxe once more.

A chilly wind blew past as the night grew colder, creating a mood of uneasiness throughout Bandle City. A big battle was about to take place.

**Sorry for late-ish chapter. Finals and stuff. Thanks for reading so far tho! REVIEW**


	5. Chapter 5

**New Chappy guys! Thanks for being so patient :O**

The Noxian Brigade had rallied around Darius, clearly wary of the Demacian leader standing nearby.

"Sir, why is a Demacian here with us?" A soldier whispered to Darius, "shouldn't we kill him?"

"Not right now," Darius replied sharply, "he will aid us in capturing this murderer, whether we like it or not."

He turned back to the large huddle of soldiers as he gave them their respective missions.

Garen, impatient at the long time Darius took briefing his troops, paced restlessly a couple of yards away.

"Darius, we do not have all night!" Garen bellowed, exasperated. "The killer might have already left, and we'll be back to square one!"

The entire Noxian Brigade slowly turned its head and glared maliciously at the Demacian, save for Darius who just rolled his eyes.

"Alright troops, behind me." Darius grumbled lowly, adjusting his armor straps and finishing a bandage around his arm. "We will find this killer and make him regret opposing Noxian strength.

In the full moon, the men marched out of the gates and into the nearby forests, searching for the mysterious entity.

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With the brigade split up into teams, Darius and Garen were left alone in the search.

Crunching through the terrain littered with leaves and twigs, Darius kept a watchful eye to his surroundings, also noting Garen's every move.

Why must I be with such a bumbling fool, Darius thought, remembering his previous battle with him. His guard was strong, but rather easily breached. An assassin could easily kill him when he was not ready.

Darius's thoughts stopped as in the clearing of the forest, there was a rundown shack emanating chatter and a yellow glow.

The wooden walls were old, but newer planks covered the roof, patching a rather large hole, and there were numerous scraps of metal strewn about the vicinity. Wondering how the hole had been made, Darius crept forward, signalling Garen to follow.

The conversations grew louder as they reached the side of the shack, the door slightly ajar. It seemed like multiple people were talking warmly inside with a festive atmosphere surrounding the small building.

"Garen, you fool" Darius harshly whispered to the commander as he tripped on his own feet and fell down onto an empty tub of ale, making a resounding "CLANG" that echoed throughout the clearing.

Suddenly, the commotion stopped from within the shack. The previous noise had been replaced with a deathly silence that should not have been possible for that amount of people. Footsteps could be heard nearing the door as Darius and Garen scrambled to find a hiding place.

The door creaked open and a furry face poked out, covered in blood as if it was freshly skinned from a yordle, which it was.

Scanning the surroundings, it returned to the glow of the shack after a few minutes of fruitless searching.

The two commanders, mortified at what they had just seen, quietly walked out of their hiding spots.

"That must be the killer!" growled Garen, cracking his knuckles in anger. "He will now pay for what he has done!"

Without thinking, Garen unsheathed his sword and charged into the shack, roaring, "FOR DEMACIA!"

"You dunce!" Darius muttered under his breath, frustrated at Garen's idiocracy. "Form a plan first you imbecilic captain."

Following him inside, they both were greeted by the same sight.

It looked like a regular old tavern, albeit rundown, with many people sitting at tables and the bar. If it wasn't for the skinned-yordle-face figure serving drinks, there would seem to be nothing out of the ordinary.

However, the shack had gone quiet again as Garen burst through the door did not go unnoticed. Numerous hooded figures ceased their talking at the intrusion and sat motionless.

"There you are you cowardly scum!" Garen boomed to the waiter. "Prepare to meet Demacian justice!"

Charging with his sword raised, Garen was about to bring his massive claymore down onto the furry faced man when a wave of pale, scarred hands reached out to stop him.

Turning to face the new adversaries, Garen gasped in horror.

Like the yordle-faced waiter, all of the hooded figures had a skinned face used as a mask. What made the commander's stomach turn even more was that he recognized the faces of his fallen men.

"You sick monsters. How dare you do this to my comrades!" Garen roared in rage, breaking free from the grasp of the sociopaths.

Starting to swing his huge sword in a wide arc around him, when he hit the first masked man, what happened next was complete chaos.

Simultaneously, all of the figures exploding in a flurry of light blue daggers, impaling Garen and Darius multiple times, though more so in Garen's case.

Many times more powerful than Katarina's signature 'Death Lotus' attack, the shivs embedded themselves in every single opening in the Demacian commander's armor from all sides, striking all of his vulnerable spots.

Blood spurted everywhere, leaking down his pierced armor and shooting out from freshly opened wounds.

The onslaught had ended as fast at it started, but the shack, which had also been impaled numerous times, began to wobble.

**Darius attempted to leave the falling roof, but his blood-red cape was caught by the shower of daggers, anchoring it to the bar behind him.**

As the wobbling grew stronger, the captains were helpless as the roof of the building collapsed on top of them, most likely breaking a few bones.

When the dust settled, all that could be seen was the ruin of a rundown shack, leaving no trace of survivors.

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..

From atop a boulder on the other side of the clearing, Shaco saw the shack collapse and giggled in glee.

"No no! You've been VERY bothersome!" he cackled, throwing his head back.

"Have a nice nap!"

Leaping down from his perch, he silently vanished, passing by a mountain of Noxian corpses.

The moon shone down as the night was consumed with an aura of death.

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Teemo had woken up early for his daily scouting through the forest. Humming a merry tune, he thought about all of the activities that he had planned for the day.

Gathering flowers for Tristana, he continued down a dirt path, skipping the whole way.

"Oooh! Those ones look nice!" he squeaked happily, trodding off the trail and into the forest.

Suddenly, he stopped, noticing an abnormality in the position of the twigs. They had been unnaturally cracked, as if someone had stepped on them.

He scooted closer and managed to make out two sets of foot prints leading deeper into the forest.

Cocking his furry head in confusion, he followed the trail. After a few minutes, they led to an open clearing where tall grass was the only thing that could be seen, except for the pile of broken wood in the distance.

Leading to the heap of wood, a bright, unnatural color caught his eye. Recognizing the classic blue scarf Garen always had around his neck, Teemo rushed to the ruin.

"Garen! Garen!" Teemo cried shrilly, digging through the fallen planks until he saw the commander, bruised and still bleeding.

"Hang in there." he screeched, pulling the large man out of the wreckage with as much strength his little yordle build could muster.

Checking his pulse, the rat(?) sighed in relief. Though it had been weak, he was still alive.

All of a sudden, the pile of wood shuddered momentarily before shifting, revealing Darius as well.

Slowly clambering out, Darius limped to his feet, exhausted and wounded, but not excessively so.

"What happened here, Darius?" Teemo asked, wary of the large, scarred commander. "Did you do this?"

"Rat(?)," Darius growled, "If I did, he would be dead now wouldn't he. Besides, my fighting style is much more direct."

Shifting uncomfortably at the commander's baleful glare, Teemo gazed up to Darius. "Then what happened here?" he repeated.

"An ambush. Though, if this bumbling idiot hadn't charged in so recklessly, we could have dealt with it." came Darius's curt and annoyed response as he yanked out multiple shivs from his grey armor. "Sentiment. How revolting."

Teemo continued to interrogate Darius as he limped back to Bandle City. Ignoring the scared and curious yordle, many thoughts were on the commander's mind.

_I must inform General Swain_, he thought. _Capturing this one will be trickier than I had anticipated._

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Garen was moved to Bandle City's hospital as Darius received first aid to his wounds. As soon as the worst of his injuries had healed, Darius made a beeline back to Noxus, clearly angered at his weakness.

Knowing his troops had all perished to the killer after passing the heap of cadavers, he rode home, tired and frustrated at the events that had unfolded on his quest.

**I'll try not to be late next time. You guys are the best. REEVIU!**


	6. Chapter 6

**New Chapter! Thanks for Reviewing and giving me new ideas for this story! I'll try to implement them soon!**

The news about the defeat of Garen and Darius spread and struck fear through all of Valoran. Who was it that could take on two of the most seasoned warriors single-handedly and STILL not be identified?

Everyone was in a panic. With apparently no way to stop this mysterious killer, the inhabitants of Runeterra feared for their lives.

In the plaza of the Town Hall, Jarvan IV stood on stage, briefing the entire Demacian population on what had happened.

"Do not worry, people of Demacia. This problem will soon be resolved and we will return to our regular period of peace." Jarvan announced in his loud voice. "Though our Dauntless Vanguard is out of commission for now, we will have other arrangements to track down this killer and bring him to justice!"

He was met with an uneasy silence. After everyone learned of Garen's critical condition, no one could quite put their faith into institutions of power like before.

The Demacian spirit was completely shattered, as even their symbol of might had fallen to this unknown assassin.

The silence was suddenly broken by a high, feminine voice.

"And what? Lead more noble Demacian lives to their deaths?" Luxanna Crownguard shrieked as she stormed up to the stage, held back by Jarvan's bodyguards.

"My brother came back to Demacia half-DEAD." Her shrill cry pierced through the waves of people as she wiped her red, swollen eyes. "And now you're going to send MORE people out there?"

A hushed murmur of assent rumbled through the crowd.

"Yeah! We work our tails off each day to further this city to its goals. The least you could do is make us feel secure!" A man shouted.

"What if the killer is here now? What can you do?" another voice piped up.

Soon, the whole crowd lost its composure as it began to riot and yell obscenities to the prince.

Jarvan waited patiently until some of the chaos died down.

"Listen here!" came his thunderous reply. "I understand how you feel. Garen has been a loyal friend to me since I can remember. I too, and deeply hurt by his current condition.

But we must have faith.

We WILL find this abomination of a being, and we WILL execute justice. When we catch him, he will feel the wrath of Demacia. I do not expect you to have faith in me, as I have failed you countless times, but please continue to believe in the spirit of Demacia. It is what drives this nation. It is what Garen would want."

Taking a deep breath, Jarvan's words had successfully pacified the crowd for the time being. Even Lux stopped struggling against the guards' restraints.

"We have contacted the League in an effort to help offer security to all nations. They will aid us in finding this madman. But until then, a new set of regulations will be put in place to keep you all safe."

Jarvan saluted the crowd once and walked off the stage, returning to the palace. The crowd dispersed, happier than they had been before, albeit slightly.

However, the storm cloud of depression continued to spread over the entire continent, gloomy and brooding.

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Swain slowly turned away from the window, limping back to his chair. Darius had not returned as of yet, and the news of the Demacian scum-leader had made its way even to the Grand General. A tinge of worry crossed his face, but just as quickly disappeared as he heard a commotion in the stairwell.

In a split second, Darius burst through the door, scarred and clearly exhausted. Breathing heavily, he still managed to stand upright and bow deeply to the General.

"Well?" Swain's raspy voice croaked.

"Things... did not go as planned. This adversary is a very cunning individual."

Darius panted as he reached into his small waist pouch. "But I did find out a bit more about him." .

The commander pulled out the bright blue shiv and handed it to Swain, who took it gingerly and inspected it.

He took a whiff and detected a trace amount unknown substance, and recognized a smell similar to the compounds found in Singed's (lol how would you pronounce that) concoctions.

_Poison_. Swain thought to himself.

"The suspect uses a variety of tricks to befuddle the opponent before going in for the killing blow." Darius explained. "He seems to be adept in close quarter combat as well as ranged attacks. But based on what I have seen, he most likely uses those skills as a last resort. He'd rather toy with the victim first."

"Interesting" came Swain's hoarse reply, continuing to examine the weapon.

"That is all I have found as of late, however." Darius grunted in disappointment, "My apologies."

"No worries. You have done well. You are dismissed until further notice."

"Yes Sir." Darius rumbled before retreating down the spiraling staircase

Thunder crackled outside as Swain became consumed in his thoughts once more.

_This opponent is very unpredictable. Based on Darius's description, he is probably a sociopath, and that makes it that much harder to identify his true motives. How frustrating._

The Grand General returned to his quarters, still pondering about the assassin through the night.

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"High Councilor Kolminye," a purple-robed summoner said as he walked in a large, cylindrical room, etched with runes, "what shall we do about this new threat?"

The weak blue glow of the runes cast a shadow on the High Councilor's face as she slowly stood up.

"This business intrigues me so. We must send champions capable of keeping the target in one place. I want him alive." she uttered quietly.

"Send word to Ryze, Kayle, and Nasus. They are to leave tomorrow at daybreak for Bandle City."

"At once, Madam." confirmed the summoner, and he strode out of the room at a brisk walk.

Left alone once more, Kolminye sighed and stared out the window in thought.

_Why must there be so much trouble in Valoran_, she mentally groaned.

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The next day, Ryze, Nasus, and Kayle were waiting at the gates of the Institute of War.

"Let's go! Let's go!" Ryze growled impatiently, his purple tattoos giving off a faint glow on his blue skin.

"Patience is key, Ryze." Came the deep, resonating voice of the towering Nasus. "Everything will run its course in due time."

Kayle remained silent while fiddling with her sword absent-mindedly.

"Okay. So take these transmitter crystals. They'll help you communicate it you're split up." A summoner briefed. "Also, here is a tracking crystal. If you are not able to subdue him, try to attach this to him so we can find him again in the future."

"You doubt my power?" Ryze snarled threateningly, eyes glowing white. "I have studied two millennia's worth of arcane magic. This mission is a joke compared to that."

"Oh no no. Not at all. This is just a precaution." came the summoner's surprisingly impassive reply as he handed the crystals to each champion.

"The ideal plan is that you bring him back alive. That's why High Councilor Kolminye chose you three. Nasus can slow him down so Ryze can trap him easier. Kayle will be protecting you at the same time, and to keep both you guys level-headed. Er, just one of you."

**"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryze snapped.**

"I see. Good plan." Nasus boomed, strapping his halberd (lol I never knew what it was) to his back.

"We will be off now." Kayle announced, taking flight. "Let us be successful in this mission."

The group started on the path down the Institute, Ryze still bickering and Nasus attempting to end the arguments calmly.

"Good luck." the summoner whispered under his breath before turning to leave.

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The sun was beaming down harshly in the Shurima Desert, roasting all that dared stand in its light. A hooded figure could be seen trudging through the sand.

The harsh, hot wind blowing, the hood fell off the figure revealing an orange and black jester hat.

Shaco had been travelling since the previous night to a location only he would know. Groaning miserably, he continued a few steps before stopping.

All of a sudden, he collapsed face first into dunes, not moving.

He stayed like that for a good couple of minutes, hardly breathing.

"I'm tired… I'm tired… Please make it stop." he lamented into the sand.

"I'm tired… of NOT KILLING ANYTHING!" he jolted up and shrieked in frustration.

"So boring. Soo so BOORING!" he cried in his deranged voice.

Sitting down, he waited for anything to happen. He longed for a living thing to kill. To hurt.

Right as he was about to lose all hope, a bestial shriek came from the distance as a purple dorsal fin quickly made its way to his position.

Hardly believing his luck, a malicious smile of glee crept onto the jester face as he unsheathed two shivs.

"Finally. This'll be fun."

**Thanks for reading. ReaViuw**


	7. Chapter 7

**S'sorry for the lack of updates. It's my responsibility to keep this story fresh. Thanks for read, as always**.

The three champions had ventured through the Mogron Pass after two days on foot.

Scaling the craggy, carved pathway through the Great Barrier, they journeyed in relative silence, save for the barely audible flapping of Kayle's wings.

By midday, nothing unusual had been seen, and the sun was starting to make its way to its high point of the day.

The group steadily gained some ground until they had reached the edge of the Shurima Desert.

"This place…" Nasus boomed, trailing off in thought.

Silently, the two adjacent champions glanced at the Ascendant, noting the painful expression etched on his face.

Before the mood could darken even further, Kayle spoke up.

"It's the afternoon now. We should rest for now and continue later." She said hastily.

"Agreed," the rogue mage nodded, shrugging off his knapsack.

Kayle pulled out a large beach umbrella from her pouch and set it up while Nasus and Ryze sat down, taking out their lunches.

For a while, the three sat under the large yellow canvas, protected from the glaring sun.

A breeze wafted gently through the yellow sand dunes, creating miniature sandstorms that whisked across the surface.

Suddenly, a piercing shriek impaled the relative silence of the desert.

A purple dorsal fin marred with blue-green dove past the three champions in a blur that kicked up a tremendous amount of sand into the air.

Ryze and Kayle burst to their feet, eyes and sword glowing.

Nasus put down his bone and unstrapped his halberd.

Bursting in a geyser of yellow, the purple monster appeared, crying out in rage.

Tensing, the three champions readied their weapons and spells in preparation for an attack, but they suddenly stopped.

The monster seemed to freeze for a bit, then it slowly started to wobble, crashing down onto the dune, barely moving.

Embedded in its back were countless bright blue daggers. They had easily pierced the tough hide of the beast, green blood flowing freely from reopened wounds.

The three champions jumped back to avoid the clumps of sand that had risen from the monster's fall.

Looking at each other, unsure of what to do, Kayle inched closer to get a better look at the collapsed beast.

"What do you think?" she asked quietly, circling around the unconscious victim.

"I detect poison and yordle blood on the weapons," Nasus replied after sniffing the air a few times. "He seems to be approaching the Great Barrier now as we speak."

"FInally, something exciting." Ryze growled, opening his old, torn spellbook. His eyes turned into a bright whitish blue color, crackling with arcane energy.

It didn't take long for their suspect to show up.

**.  
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**.**

**.**

Shaco had been trailing the beast. Finished with his torture, he was about to deliver the finishing blow when the monster fled with its remaining strength.

Kicking the sand in frustration, he had followed the barely visible trail of green blue under the yellow of the dunes.

A purple mass caught his eye in the distance. Recognizing the beast's form, he grinned widely and started to run to his target.

Upon reaching his destination, however, he was met with a suspicious atmosphere.

Narrowing his eyes, he scanned the surroundings, detecting malice.

As far as he could see, there was only the route into Mogron Pass and the sand dunes.

_It's a trap_. He thought to himself. _At least two. Got it. Kill. Let's go._

Right as he finished his thought, a wall of sand bursted out around him.

Nasus was about to bring down his signature _Siphoning Strike _move onto the head of the jester only to hit thin air.

"OOOH! Feisty are we?" Shaco cackled three meters to the Ascendant's right. "Be careful where you swing that thing. You might hit somebody."

Growling and baring his large canines, Nasus rushed to Shaco, his halberd glowing with a malicious purple aura. Gathering speed, he leaped into the air.

"You won't get me!" Shaco laughed, attempting to move out of the way, but he was stuck.

A bright blue cage of magic energy had surrounded him instantaneously. Ryze had burst up behind Shaco and cast it.

"You won't get away!" Ryze retorted haughtily, a cocky grin on his tattooed face.

A face of shock made its way onto Shaco's face as the massive weapon collided vertically onto his head.

A large sand cloud rose from the sheer force put into the attack, and when it cleared, Shaco was lying crumpled on the ground, not breathing.

Kayle emerged as well when she had saw the attack connect.

The three circled around the jester's body, looking down in confusion.

"This is the culprit that defeated Darius and Garen?" Kayle inquired, bewildered internally, but not showing it.

"Apparently so." Nasus replied in his echoing voice as he stood his halberd upright.

"What a disappointment." Ryze spat. "And those two commanders are leaders of their own soldiers. Maybe they're just weak."

"At any rate, let's bring his body back." Nasus grunted, bending down to lift the jester.

Right as he touched the body, it disappeared in a cloud of red smoke, leaving a small note.

Kayle picked up the note and read its contents.

"**LOL. :D"**

Whipping their heads around in a mad search, they saw the jester sitting on top of the body of the purple beast.

"You guys suck. This hunk of purple isn't as fun to kill anymore. I'll have more fun skewering you!" he chortled as he stood up menacingly.

"What was THAT?" Ryze snarled, instantly activating his magic powers and charging straight at Shaco.

"Ryze! Stop! Don't let him get to you!" Kayle warned, but Ryze didn't hear, too angry at the clown's taunts.

Muttering in an ancient language, Ryze activated unleashed his Desperate Power, which increased his running speed and spell damage.

Running so fast, he turned into a blue-purple blur, hands crackling with arcane power.

"TAKE THIS!" he yelled as he hurtled a glowing red orb of magic at the jester. Shaco dodged the projectile and it hit the stone formation behind him, resulting in a large explosion that sent rocks and debris flying everywhere.

Not relenting in the slightest, he continued his onslaught, firing off spell after spell until his power waned, fizzling out.

Panting slightly, Ryze surveyed the destruction he had created. Massive craters littered the rock in front of him, but the jester was no where in sight.

"Hey, calm down." he heard a humorous whisper in his ear.

Sharply turning around, he scanned behind him, but only saw Kayle and Nasus.

"WRONG!" the voice blared in his ear.

Turning around once more, a blue shiv was about to impale his face.

Closing his eyes in reflex, Ryze waited for the impact, but was met with a dull thud.

When he opening his eyes in confusion, he saw that he was encased in a transparent, golden sphere.

Kayle had barely caught up to the two combatants and had used her Intervention in the nick of time.

Shaco, eyes widening in surprise, jumped back to a safe distance to assess the new developments.

"I didn't ask for your help." Ryze muttered, trailing off.

"I'll take that as a 'thank you'." Kayle replied, emotionless. "Don't rush in so foolishly. You almost got killed."

"I think we should formulate a plan first." Nasus boomed as he reached the two champions. "Our first tactic seemed to work in ensnaring him."

Huddling together, the three champions hissed and muttered quietly, brainstorming.

Shaco sat down, cross-legged, onto the sand, waiting.

After a few minutes, the team had finished their powwow and turned to face the jester, who had fallen asleep.

"How dare he…" Ryze growled angrily, but was stopped by Kayle.

"Keep your temper, Ryze," she warned impassively.

Grumbling reluctantly, Ryze took a step back and readied himself.

Everything grew quiet for a moment, with only the soft rustle of sand whisking through the dunes in the background as an exception.

"Go!" Kayle yelled, pointing her sword.

The massive Ascendant charged forward, kicking up waves of sand as he dashed to Shaco.

The jester, expecting an attack lept back out of the way of the rampaging dog-man.

Nasus raised his large, dark-colored hand and a purple aura glowed out of it in wisps.

When the glow faded, nothing had changed.

"What was THAT supposed to be?" Shaco giggled madly. "A magic trick? Well I've got some of those too!"

In a split second and a large puff of red smoke, multiple Shacos stood in front of the Shuriman.

Leaping at him simultaneously, right when the Shacos were about to make contact, the ground beneath them erupted in a purple ring of flame.

The dummies gasped in surprise as they were consumed by the growing fire while Nasus stood in the epicenter, unharmed.

"Hmm. Tricky tricky." Shaco observed out loud from a few meters away, scratching his head in relative surprise.

"Don't underestimate us, clown." Nasus boomed. "We have dealt with stronger foes than you."

"I'm sure you have, doggy!" Shaco cackled. "Bring it!"

Nasus lifted his hand again and the purple aura appeared once more.

After it had vanished, Nasus charged once more.

"A one trick doggy." Shaco yawned, bored.

As he was about to jump, however, he was once again trapped in an arcane cage.

Ryze had conjured up his rune prison once again, ensnaring the jester.

Nasus, however, gained a sudden burst of speed from Kayle and created the ring of flame under Shaco's feet, not allowing him to split.

Because of the sudden increase in the Ascendant's movement, Shaco was caught by surprised as Nasus's halberd connected right in the jester's jaw.

Shaco flew sideways from the massive impact and skidded to a stop ten meters away.

"Like I said. Do not underestimate us." Nasus growled deeply, crossing his arms.

Standing shakily, rubbing his jaw, Shaco's grin widened to extreme proportions.

"Excellent." he whispered maliciously, eyes narrowing into menacing slits.

Shaco disappeared in a puff of red smoke and all was silent once more.

The three champions looked around, trying to anticipate where the jester would appear next, but for a good five minutes, nothing happened.

"Did he run away"? Nasus inquired, clearly confused.

"He probably did, that coward." Ryze sneered nastily in derision.

"Hmm." Kayle murmured.

Suddenly, the sand exploded from underneath them and waves upon waves of clones started to emerge.

"DIE!" they all screamed simultaneously.

The hordes of Shacos seemed to engulf the three champions like a blanket, stabbing and slicing the whole time.

All seemed lost for them until Nasus burst out of the carpet of jesters, now two meters taller than he was previously.

Carrying the two unconscious champions in one of his enlarged arms, he started to hack away at the wave of jesters with his great halberd using the other.

A dark purple sandstorm buffeted the nearest clones and they all exploded in a burst of shivs, but this only needled the enraged Ascendant.

Cleaving a path out of the wave, he cast his Spirit Fire spell once more, dispelling a large number of clones.

Wading through the endless army, he spun around in a 360 degrees circle, slicing many more dummies clean in two.

Despite his best efforts, once his Fury had dissipated, Nasus eventually succumbed to the attack.

"BOOM!" the real Shaco cackled madly as all of the remaining clones climbed onto the three champions and systematically exploded in a flurry of blades.

After the assault finally finished, all of the champions lay on the sand, bloodied and exhausted.

Struggling to stay conscious, Nasus staggered to his feet, limping.

"What's this? Still alive eh?" Shaco cackled maliciously, stretching his arms in lethargic bliss.

Wordlessly, Nasus raised his hand once more, and the purple aura came and disappeared.

However, after it was dispelled, the sand started to shift clockwise with Shaco at the center.

A whirlpool of sand suddenly appeared, rooting Shaco and dragging him downward.

In surprise, Shaco tried to disappear, but an arcane force prevented him from using magic.

"I mixed Ryze's spells into the sand with my Wither. This whole time it has been slowly churning underground, fermenting. There is no escape." Nasus gasped out, clutching his wounds.

"What? NO! NO NO NO NO NO!" Shaco thrashed and screamed, but it only made him sink faster.

He continued to descend until only his head was visible, poking out of the quicksand trap.

"DAMN YOU!" he screeched as he struggled some more in vain.

"Glad we finally caught you." Nasus smirked as he collapsed due to loss of blood.

The burning sun roasted the sands as the fight had finally ceased.

All was quiet through the Shurima Desert save for the ragged breaths of the trapped jester, and the three champions did not wake until the next dawn.

**I made this chapter a bit longer to try to compensate a bit. Sorry again!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys. Many apologies for this lack of updates, but school has gotten busier. Expect more sporadic updates. Again, really sorry.**

The glowing, blue doors of the High Summoner's office burst open with a heavy 'CRANG.'

The High Councilor jolted up in surprise, awoken from her nap. Footsteps echoed throughout the

cylindrical room as four heavily armed guards dressed in thick plate mail dragged in a beaten jester, chained with magic-suppressing runes..

The doors closed behind the group as boisterously as before, and the room descended into an uncomfortable silence.

After a few minutes, High Councilor Kolminye slowly made her way down the spiraling staircase in front of the chained clown.

"Where are Nasus, Ryze, and Kayle?" she quietly asked, pacing around the still Shaco.

"They are in the infirmary in critical but stabilizing condition," a guard gruffly replied, shifting his shoulder straps.

Taking in this information, Kolminye waited another moment, much to the guards' uneasiness.

"You are dismissed." She finally spoke.

"But High Councilor, this fiend is-" a guard piped up.

"I am quite sure I will have no problem with him in this condition." she replied stiffly.

"But-"

"You. Are. Dismissed."

The guards hastily shuffled out of the room and the doors closed once more with a resounding boom.

Shaco still kneeled dormant, eyes closed and unmoving. His pallid face glowed a dim blue, reflecting off the atmospheric light of the room.

The runes on his shackles shone in a light-green hue, sapping the strength from their host.

Walking closer, Kolminye suspiciously eyed Shaco, just inches away from his face.

And that's when in a split second, Shaco opened his eyes and screamed, "BOO!"

Shocked and giving a yelp in fright, the High Councilor stumbled back and landed on her backside.

The room was filled with a chorus of laughter from the jester, his mouth agape, uttering the harsh sound.

After his fit of giggling ended, he straightened as Kolminye stood up, seething and embarrassed.

"You should have seen your FACE! Your eyes were as big as DINNER PLATES!"

Shaco's recollection of the event sent him into another session of cackling as the High Councilor stood silently, red-faced and bashful.

After a few more moments, the room grew quiet once more, and Kolminye's eyes flashed angrily.

"Who are you, and where do you come from." She muttered in a dangerously low tone.

"Who are you, and where do you come from." Shaco mocked in a high-pitched voice.

"This is not a place for jokes you insufferable clown. You face death for your crimes." She snarled, blue flames appearing in the palms of her hands.

Analyzing her irate expression, Shaco complied, albeit briefly.

"I am he called Shaco, your Counciloriness." he replied as sleazily as he could, trying to hide a smirk but failing. "I hail from nowhere."

"Nowhere?" she questioned, loosening up a bit but fires still primed.

"Nah. Under."

"Under where?" she asked, impatient.

At this, Shaco started to giggle again.

"Haha, you said Underwear!"

Exasperated, Kolminye's eyes glowed harsher.

"I guess we'll have to do this the hard way." she muttered as she prepared to enter Shaco's mind.

What a mistake that proved to be.

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Celebrations echoed throughout the streets of Demacia as news of the killer's capture arrived. There was dancing, drinking, and overall cheer as Demacian bodies partied the night away.

Lux, however, did not participate in the festivities as Garen was still in no condition to be in motion, even with his high tenacity.

In the infirmary, she sat next to her brother on the bed, gently taking his hand.

"Garen. Garen" she called out softly.

The Might of Demacia opened his eyes and sat up, grimacing in pain at the action.

"You shouldn't move too much, Garen." she quietly reprimanded at her brother.

"You shouldn't be in her, Lux. You should be celebrating with everyone else." Garen replied, somber but content.

"How could I enjoy myself if I knew you were still in such a poor state?"

Just then, the door slammed open as Jarvan IV entered holding a cake, towering over the slight frame of Lux.

"Heyyy. There's the hero of the day." He boomed, placing the cake on Garen's bedside table.

Garen cracked a wry smile.

"What are you doing here, your Highness?" Garen said, "don't you have guests to attend to?"

"Nah. I felt like you could use some company, so I brought some of the party to you."

Right on the mark, Xin Zhao, Sona, and a blushing Shyvana entered the room.

"I asked all of them to come." Jarvan laughed as he sat down on the other side of Garen. "Now we can all have fun."

"Thanks. All of you." Garen muttered, touched at his friends' affection for him.

"Hey, what are friends for?" Jarvan replied. "Let's cut this cake and toast to Garen's quick recovery!"

The city of Demacia was in high spirits that night as everyone was able to party away.

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Under the gloomy, gray skies of Noxus, Swain was sorting through papers and reports. The moonlit clouds allowed for the red glow of the stained glass window to cast throughout the room.

Still shuffling through the various rolls of scrolls on his desk, he stopped when he heard Beatrice's caw.

In her beak was a small, wrinkled message.

After glancing over it, Swain straightened suddenly, and quickly limped to the coat rack.

He put on his fur coat and disappeared from the room.

_It's time I paid the League a visit._ He thought as he closed his office door.

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As soon as Kolminye attempted to enter Shaco's mind, she was met with a bombardment of indescribable emotion.

Shaco's laugh seemed to bounce around in her head and broken clips of his fractured memories played out in front of her.

She felt pain and loneliness the entire time as the unrelenting cackles echoed throughout her mind. In fact, she wasn't even sure she was in control of the reading anymore.

As she delved deeper into the broken mind, more and more scenes played in front of her, but most of them were garbled and unclear, only giving sounds of a demonic, distorted voice.

Not even a voice, but vibration.

Feeling her head ache from the exposure to Shaco's mind, she nevertheless continued.

Blood, the occasional severed limb, and the continuous laughter were the only things she could make out through the jumbled chaos..

However, as she was about to retreat from the mental hell, an unusually clear scene presented itself.

It depicted a small, skinny boy with long, unkempt dark hair. He was sitting under a tree in a forest. Scars and open cuts marred his pale skin as he cowered in the rain dressed in nothing but a ragged loincloth.

He was hunched over, trying to keep warm though the storm, though failing as he shivered uncontrollably.

Thunder rolled across the sky as the boy tightened, starting to sob.

Clutched in his hand was a faded and tattered orange jester doll.

"It's okay, Shaco, we'll survive this. We've survived worse, remember?" the boy consoled his doll in a low voice.

In the distance, the voices of men could be heard faintly and the boy perked up, frightened and alert. He dove into a thicket as the voices grew louder, cutting himself up even more so than he was already.

Holding the doll up to his face, he started singing faintly as the rain pattered down.

_Life is not what it used to be_

_I'm at the end of my rope._

_But through the strife I'll still be me_

_One can't ever lose hope._

The boy repeated the stanza over and over while cradling the doll, rocking himself to sleep.

All seemed silent and tranquil under the rain as the skies lit up with lightning once more.

"There you are!" came a loud and gruff voice as the boy screamed in horror, trying to run, but tripping over the thicket.

Rough, calloused hands closed around the boy's throat as he struggled for air.

An atrocious laughter was all that could be heard from the darkness as the memory ended.

Kolminye was abruptly drawn to the present as she stumbled back once more.

Still trying to comprehend what she had seen, she met the gaze of a glowering Shaco.

"Had enough, Miss?" he growled, no hint of humor in his voice.

His tone caused her to shiver in fear as his gaze intensified.

Too dazed for words, the High Councilor was reduced to a cornered animal, shrinking away from the mad eyes of the jester.

"G-g-g-g-guards! See him to the dungeons!" she barely cried out, stuttering heavily.

The guards burst into the room once more, hefting the still glaring clown away from the office to the dungeons.

Kolminye kept her eye contact until the heavy doors closed.

That night and for ones to come, she would have nightmares so vivid and disorienting that would put even Nocturne to shame.

**R3Vi-UW!**


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